These are truly the dog days of the NFL season - but at least there are no season-ending injuries in this week's running back committee report.
Buffalo Bills
| PLAYER | WEEK 10 CARRIES | WEEK 10 TARGETS | O-SNAP% |
|---|---|---|---|
| L. McCoy | 19 | 5 | 80% |
| K. Williams | 7 | 1 | 20% |
Karlos Williams proved himself a more than capable understudy, filling in on several occasions when LeSean McCoy was injured. In two games against the Dolphins this season, Williams put up a combined 220 yards with three touchdowns. Miami has been terrible at preventing the run but Williams is as much the cause of their ineffectiveness as he is the product.
When the Bills acquired McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso in the summer, they were buying low on a player who had gone to the Pro Bowl last season and was only a season removed from being a First Team All-Pro.
Recent history suggests that while McCoy's legs could go at any moment, he's still the team's best option as lead back. Williams' track record is short and primarily against suspect opposition. It seems that Williams' best chance for snaps is if McCoy is injured for good.
The Bills have a Week 11 date with the Patriots, who allow just 88.2 yards rushing per game. Those numbers are partially deflated because teams are often forced to abandon the run when trailing New England in the second half, but that's not a good sign for the Bills' RBs.
McCoy is still a worthy price-dependent play but Williams will have little value as a back-up. He needs to prove he can be a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield.
New England Patriots
| PLAYER | WEEK 10 CARRIES | WEEK 10 TARGETS | O-SNAP% |
|---|---|---|---|
| L. Blount | 19 | 2 | 52.1% |
| J. White | 1 | 1 | 38.3% |
| B. Bolden | 1 | 0 | 13.6% |
When Dion Lewis went down for the season, conventional wisdom was that LeGarrette Blount would see his stock increase dramatically. Though he's a one-dimensional, between the tackles rusher, he's still the only proven RB on the roster.
That's basically what happened Week 10. Against the Giants, Blount smashed and crashed his way to 66 yards and a TD on his 19 carries, adding two catches for 11 yards for good measure.
The name James White was barely uttered, which is surprising given that he participated in 38.3% of the Patriots' snaps.
He doesn't profile as a great pass-blocking back but only registered one carry and one target. Why was this little-used back-up on the field during a close, nail-biting game?
Consider that before this game, White had appeared in just nine games in his career, with 16 carries. With Blount in the fold and Lewis emerging in Week 1 as a critical play-maker, White should not have expected to be pushed into a featured role this season.
Now, with Lewis out and Blount a poor fit for passing-down situations, White has an opportunity to slide into a key role on a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
In the grand scheme, it didn't matter if the Patriots left Week 10 with a 9-0 or 8-1 record. What matters is that White was able to experience a rotation back's workload: being present in the huddle, receiving the play call, executing his assignment, and generally proving that he belongs.
After dipping his toes into the NFL waters over his first nine games, the Giants' game forced White up to his knees. With Bill Belichick and Tom Brady's blessing, White could be due for a full baptism in Week 11; while Buffalo's ninth-ranked run defense is uninviting, their 19th-ranked pass defense could be exploited by a player with White's skill-set.
